[WEB400] Re: CGI URL

[Hans Boldt <boldt@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Jim Langston wrote:
> To be fair, Hans, lines of code shouldn't be a fair assessment, if it was we would all be using APL.  In APL we can write an entire program in one line.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jim Langston
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Hans Boldt [mailto:boldt=G1DYhSM1WHTQT0dZR+AlfA@public.gmane.org]
>
> <SNIP>
>
> No, there are indeed quantitative means to compare the suitability
> of particular programming languages to particular tasks.  To
> illustrate, I can send you my 200 line Python program that does the
> same job as a published 400 line RPG CGI program.  (To keep the
> comparison fair, I kept the program structure the same and included
> the same comments.)
> _______________________________________________

Jim:  As I said, I tried hard to keep the comparison fair, and so I
kept the structure the same and kept the same comments. I also
avoided other techniques to compress the size of the program, like
coding multiple statements on one line. I agree lines of code is not
always a fair assessment, especially if you're playing "Perl Golf"!
(http://www.sysarch.com/perl/golf/)

In this comparison, though, the RPG program could have been a bit
shorter had the programmer used /FREE calcs. Also, one reason the
Python program was shorter was because Python has no "end"
statement.  But in general, the Python program was shorter largely
because of the conciseness of the language and the power of the
class libraries provided.

The point of my note to Brad was that you can't assume that one tool
is just as good as another just because you can complete the same
task in both. Lines of code is just one example of a quantitative
metric you can use to compare two tools. Other metrics you can use
are program run-time performance (compiled languages are usually
better), programmer productivity (interpreted languages are usually
better), portability to other platforms, and time to learn the language.

There are also more subjective accounts, such as Bruce Eckels
opinion that he is 5 to 10 times as productive using Python. (See
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/network/2000/03/30/softwaredev.html)
(Bruce has written books on C++ and Java.)  Open source guru Eric
Raymond also has some interesting things to say about Python. (Read
http://www.linuxjournal.com/article.php?sid=3882)

Cheers!  Hans